Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-07-30
For verbosity and long-winded

OF McMlnnville would take the blue
ribbon off the escape valve of a natur-
al gas well. One of the latest eyiden-
ces of this is a column effusion in the
Chattanooga Times from Mr.. Jas. S.
Barton, a member ofthe McMinnville
bar, purpOrting to be constitutional
argument of the prohibition question.
He labors throughout about one
third of,his article in supposing and
arguing some hypothesis which no.
body else on earth ever thought of,
and just what he drives at in the
other two-thirds the Lord and Mr..
Barton only know. He refers to the
provision OF theconstitution for adopt
ing amendments requiring in their
favor "a majority of all the citizens of
the State, voting for Representative"
admits that the last election for Rep
resentative must be taken as q basis,
a majority of which vote would be
something over $4,000, and yet Mr..
B. claims, by some obscure precedent,
that even should 100000 votes be
polled for prohibition, it would not
be constitutionally carried. Mr..
Barton may delude some of his friends
who cling to the whisky shop and
the distillery with this brilliant out
pouring of his legal lore, but we will
wager the superanuated remains of
half a dozen lead pencils that if pro-
hibition carries anywhere within
$4,000 of the number of votes named
by him, said friends will have to
close up their little grist mills of per-
dition. All that is necessary now to
make prohibition a recognized law of
Tennessee, is the requisite number of
votes, land it won't take 100000 by a
good many jugsful-we would like to
have more than this, but can get
along on Less. Just give us enough
votes on the Goth of September, and
we won't have any trouble straight
ening out all the little kinks in the
constitution which may be found by
those who affect temperance senti-
ment and yet give their time and
talents in pleading for whisky.
WITH the New Errors" declara-
ton of war on the prohibition amend
ment it hOists to its mast head the
name of Mr.. Frank Spurlock as as
sistant editor. AS alawyer Mr.. Spur
lock is the acknowledged peer of any
other member of the profession in
! this circuit, but as a newspaper man
| his record, while it may not lack
, brilliancy, is brief, and his present
l effort is not likely to add any flowers
, to his wreath of fame. 1t is custom.
! airy among newspaper men to con.
l graduate their friends upon theil
elevation to the k%nighthood o.
=. the quill, but VI very friendship
. for Mr.. Spurlock restraints us from con.
graduating him upon taking up the
= quill in defense of such an unholy
cause. If, purely as a business mat
4 ter, in his capacity as a lawyer, Mr.
Spurlock accepts a fee from the whis
l ky men to advocate their caus
through the columns of a newspaper
u with which he has no other connec
ton or interest, the same as he would
advocate the cause of client before {
court of justice, we presume it il
legitimate and his course justifable
but if actuated by honest conviction
e and a sincere desire for the defeat O
prohibition, then God pity him il
his misguided judgment. Whateve
n motive has prompted the step, we ar,
satisfied the day is not far distan
: when he will see his error. No re
s. ward whatever awaits his labors, ant
If we are both surprised and panied tina
it he has so unwisely je~opardized all o
V his own best interests. All the highe
l. and nobler instincts of his nature, al
It the dearest ties on earth to him, ar
peal to his reason, his judgment an,
his manhood to forSake this unhol,
alliance with an element which scru
pies at no destruction of humanity
if virtue, purity, or nobility. Nothini
is too pure and sacred for whisky
blight with its curse. Like death,
Of Gloves a shining mark" and it nun
p bers among its victims many of tn
brightest and purest men and wome
the world has ever known. Then VIII.
p%erpetuate its reign? The adoptio
le of the prohibition amendment i
A. Tennessee will deal the traffic a deaf
re blow in this State from which it ca
ID never recover. True it may hinge
W in the throes of death for a number
at years, and in its struggles for eXis
ence yet strike many destructiN